Longevity on strong hives?

[Anonimo22]

This just seemed really interesting to think about today.

I'd been reading some material by swarm catchers and some of them (not often maybe) say they'd found old bee boxes with bees still living in them without any humans being around them for some time.

It made me think it would be fun to talk to the other beeks and see what they think about the average length of time they can keep a strong big hive going for in terms of years? (By this I don't mean using the same queens...) But just trying to compare how long can someone keep a strong well run hive going for compared to smaller or medium hives?

It seems fun to think about.

And I understand some people as breeders are also trying to get smaller hives on purpose, so I'm not trying to say either is better.

I wonder, if you kept a hive with adequate resources if its possible to keep a hive going for decades? (Is this too presumptious to ask, I hope not.) (And obviously there's a lot of turnover.)

[The15thMember]

I think the answers to this question are going to depend on what you consider to be "1 hive".  For example, I entered this spring with 1 hive.  That hive split/swarmed 3 times, so I now have 4 hives.  Let's say all my hives die this winter except for 1, and I again enter next spring with one hive.  For the purposes of the topic, are you saying that hive is the same hive as the previous year? 

 

[van from Arkansas]

Prior to Varroa and small hive beetles, that is before 1994 [about] I kept the same mother hive for over 10 years.

For all I know, the original mother hive, born 1962, is still going.  I had to get rid of, give away, all of hives to make way for college.  Such as life.  The comb would need replacement every 5-8 years due to contamination.

Now a days, meet Varroa and small hive beetle.  The doomsday immigrants.

[TheHoneyPump]

Interesting question.  Though it really is not clear what you are actually asking nor how to answer it. The answer could be complex or very simple.  I believe the only answer, the simple answer, that can be given is that a beehive is constantly changing and rejuvenating. There is no such thing as a measure of how long a hive lasts.

A hive is not a static set of frames, woodwork, nor bee stock.  Wood rots and gets replaced.  Frames are manipulated regularly and some of them replaced annually.  Bees and queens come and go come with each brood cycle and changing seasons. The colony either splits itself casting off swarms or the beekeeper intentionally splits the hive to make more hives. ......

[van from Arkansas]

HP, you did the world a disfavor by not being a journalist or college professor.  You are thinking at a level way above me.  I always enjoy your post.  Especially is you start that numerical answer thing: ya know like:
1.  Origin to problem
2.  Possible solutions
3.  Probable outcomes.

Very methodical.  When you take your time and answer by the #1, #2 etc I know the text is going to be a learning experience for me. 

Enjoying life I am.
Van

[Beeboy01]

Back before varroa my dad had a hive that was at least 10 years old. I don't think he had worked it for most of it's existence. After his death I opened it up and found a glass milk bottle that must of been a feeder jar completely embedded and filled with comb in the second deep. It's just an interesting side note on how long a hive could survive.

[Ben Framed]

Depends on your location. As mentioned above, are you in a varroa or, and, a SHB area. Your bees Location?    And, just because there may bee bees in a box several years later does not mean the original bees descendants are there. New swarms could have took over after the original may have been long gone for again, reasons of SHB or Varroa. Again to general of a question because of location considerations. 

[paus]

There are 3 hives close to my home, 3milesas the crow flies all three are 3 deep.  several years ago, 4-5+-,  horses knocked one hive over the base was not moved, the top and top two deeps were still intact.  All of these hives are still full of bees.  Because of non bee related this person will not let any touch them, sell them or anything.

[Ben Framed]

Quoting Paus
Because of non bee related this person will not let any touch them, sell them or anything.

Wonder what his reasoning is?

[John_M]

My first bees were "inherited" from a neighbor.  I know they hadn't been tended in at least 10 years.  Two of 3 were still alive and strong, and very gentle.  Everything was propalized unbelievably thickly, a lot of the wood was rotten.  Took me a long time, weeks, to get them moved onto new equipment.  In spite of how much havac I put them through it was weeks before I got a sting.  Those colonies and splits from them were with for years afterwards, maybe still are, kinda lost track.  It was one hell of a way to get started keeping bees, but I learned a lot in the process.

[Anonimo22]

Thanks for all the kind comments and replies.

This forum has some really nice people!

[Acebird]

The question is kinda like asking how long people will in your house that you live in now.  You certainly can keep bees in your boxes for 30 or 40 years if you are young enough.